Life sentences for Politkovskaya killing

Duo imprisoned for murder of journalist in 2006 which raised alarm over risks faced by Russian government's critics.

09 Jun 2014 11:06 GMT

Politkovskaya, who was killed in 2006, specialised in uncovering state corruption and rights abuse [ AP]

A court in Moscow has sentenced two men to life in prison for killing Anna Politkovskaya, an investigative journalist murdered in 2006, Russia’s Interfax says.

The killing raised international alarm over the risks faced by government critics in the country.

Politkovskaya, who specialised in uncovering state corruption and rights abuses, was shot at her Moscow apartment block at the age of 48.

Five men were found guilty of the killing.

Interfax said a judge agreed to the prosecutors' request to order life imprisonment for Rustam Makhmudov, found guilty of pulling the trigger, and his uncle Lom-Ali Gaitukayev, who organised the logistics of the killing.

Three other men were given sentences of between 12 and 20 years, Russian RIA news agency said.

The court, which announced the prison times on Monday, had convicted the men last month.

Some of the suspects had been acquitted in a 2009 trial, but later the Russian Supreme Court ordered a new trial.